Hour meter question

[Wave34]

Hi,
I know that a mechanical hour meter can be disconnected to stop hour increment or simply replaced to show a lower hours, but, what about a digital meter?

How a digital meter works? Is it a separate meter that records hours when there is power on it, just like a mechanical one, or it is only a display that receive information from the ECU?

In either cases, if the meter in integrated in the speed or RPM dial, I don't see that it is easily feasible to modify.

I know the ECU can be read with a laptop, but it involves having a mechanic drive to the boat, which can be in another city, or bring the boat to the mechanic, which the seller may have no time for that.

The boat I'm looking at is a Monterey 245CR.

Thanks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

are you concerned the boat hours may have been tampered with? not sure what your question is.

as for digital hour meter in a tach. its just like a stop watch. when key is on, it starts ticking away. key off and it stops. leave key on and it runs hours up. some tachs have to have the motor actually running to start counting.

as for the number of hours on a boat. almost meaningless. 99% of boats never get more than 20 hours a year.

 

[89retta]

When we got our boat it was showing 270 hours. Had it inspected before we purchased it. She only had 120 hours as the PO had the key on while listening to tunes. One more thing if the seller doesn't have time or wont let you take it for an inspection . Walk away from the deal.

 

[Ned L]

Just for clarification, I think you mean “digital” vs “analog” hour meter. Both are basically elictric clocks that record when the ignition is on.
A true mechanical hour meter probably hasn’t been in a marine instrument panel in the past 50 years. A mechanical hour meter is actually gear driven off a mechanical tachometer. Because it is gear driven off the tach, it runs slow at slow engine speeds and fast at fast engine speeds. They used to be geared to be reasonably close to accurate somewhere around 2000 RPM.

 

[Bondo]

The boat I'm looking at is a Monterey 245CR.

Ayuh,..... Hour meters are for the timin' of services to the motor,..... aka: oil changes, 'n such,....

A compression test will tell ya the overall health of the motor,.....

 

[QBhoy]

I have an under dash digital hour meter. It’s just connected to the ignition. If ignition on...it’s counting.
If you have a mpi or gxi Merc or Volvo, the hours can be read by plug in...or with the Merc...the wee cheap Bluetooth vessel view gadget. Great wee thing.

 

[Wave34]

Thanks for the replies. (still not received notifications of replies...).

Scott D I'm just concerned about the hours because I think it is easy for someone with an older boat to tamper with the system or unplug the wire to stop recording hours.
To my 'no-boat-experience-opinion', the more hours = more wear on clutches (B3), engine, humidity level higher in the hull??

I would like to have a tool to read directly into the ECU, but at $800, not for now.
In automobile diag tools, the chinese make their cheap price, but still good for the job version of pro tools. . For my BMW/Mini I bought a $30 modified OBDII cable that can access all the communication buses and they give the software with it. Too bad they don't make anything for boats.


Ned L; I don't know if it is a real mechanical, but someone at work has a 99 Bayliner, and he says that at some point the hour meter was defective and has been replaced by the previous owner. I looked at it, and it looked like 0-9 numbers rolling around like cars had before. To me those meters are useful only to track oil changes and maintenance, not to estimate the total running time of a boat. In cars, the quantity of miles affect directly the value of the car, but it seems that in boats, it's a secondary element, the first being the maintenance, cleanness, etc.


QBhoy; you say: the hours can be read by plug in...or with the Merc...the wee cheap Bluetooth vessel view gadget
Do you have a link of that product, or a name for it?

 

[Wave34]

I went to see the 2004 Monterey 245CR this weekend. The boat is very clean, BUT, by reading the 2015 survey from the previous owner, I found a note saying that the bottom was damaged at the back and needed to be repaired. I guess it was since he used the boat for the last 3 years. But, on the cabin floor I found a long crack in the gelcoat, at the left of the driver seat, at the junction floor/wall under the left seat. My finger nails could catch in the crack. It was maybe 3' long.

Is this only cosmetic or water can enter by that kind of crack?

The guy had spent some money to polish and repair the boat, painted the trailer, polished the trailer wheels, new brakes, new surge brake etc, but it seems as he wants to recuperate his time in $$ and was not flexible on price.

Just for information, his 2015 survey stated a value of $30K, but today he's asking $42 and won't go below $40'.
I wanted to offer $35K which I think was a good price, but it didn't work.
In spring, the market is crazy. People ask a lot of money for their boat, and buyers just give them what they want, then the market goes down slowly as summer goes.

My question is, the value written in a survey, how representative it is relative to retail?
Is that value over the market, under???

 

[JASinIL2006]

It's hard to believe that, in the three years between the survey and now, the boat would be worth an additional $10-12K.

Many times, people put money into boats and expect to recoup it upon resale, but that really isn't realistic and the bottom line is that it still is a 14 year old boat.

 

[GA_Boater]

Thanks for the replies. (still not received notifications of replies...).

What kind of notification are you expecting? Email notifications are not working at this time and it's a bug fix in progress.

Until then just check the thread occasionally.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Don't get too hung up about the number of hours on a boat. Yes it is important but the condition of the boat may not reflect the number of hours. A boat in great condition with high hours is worth more than a newer boat that the owner beat the crap out of, never maintained it let alone kept it clean. As far as someone asking 10K more than it's worth all I would say to the guy is "Good Luck buddy boy". Keep shopping, you don't seem to trust the guy anyway.

I don't know about the crack, I'm not a glass guy. I would pass on a boat with a crack that big regardless of where it is and at whatever price. That's just me.

 

[Wave34]

What kind of notification are you expecting? Email notifications are not working at this time and it's a bug fix in progress.

Until then just check the thread occasionally.

Ok, didn't know it was a bug at the 'forum' level, thought it was just me.

 

[Wave34]

Don't get too hung up about the number of hours on a boat. Yes it is important but the condition of the boat may not reflect the number of hours. A boat in great condition with high hours is worth more than a newer boat that the owner beat the crap out of, never maintained it let alone kept it clean. As far as someone asking 10K more than it's worth all I would say to the guy is "Good Luck buddy boy". Keep shopping, you don't seem to trust the guy anyway.

I don't know about the crack, I'm not a glass guy. I would pass on a boat with a crack that big regardless of where it is and at whatever price. That's just me.

I agree about the more hours but maintained worth more than the inverse.

About that guy, I think he bought the boat for a low price because it needed some cosmetic and some other repairs, and now, after he made it shiny, tries to make money on his time.

It was a nice and shiny boat, but the rest turned me off.

Edit: If the currency exchange was not that bad, I would go down to Boston to buy one. The market is so big in the US, that there is competition and prices are quite low, at least compared to here.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Even with the ridiculous exchange rate some US boats are still a good deal. Really simple to bring them here. As a freshwater boater I might be wary of buying a saltwater boat, or one from the deep south that can be used 12 months a year. With our weather here and rather short season I sure don't use the boat all that often lately. I would never buy a snowmobile from near the Arctic either.

 

[Fun Times]

QBhoy; you say: the hours can be read by plug in...or with the Merc...the wee cheap Bluetooth vessel view gadget.
Do you have a link of that product, or a name for it?

Try searching "All" and "Video" searching online Mercruiser Vessel View Mobile. Two examples for you below,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpd_qpQKiqA
VesselView Mobile FAQ Module Application

 

[Wave34]

Try searching "All" and "Video" searching online Mercruiser Vessel View Mobile. Two examples for you below,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpd_qpQKiqA
VesselView Mobile FAQ Module Application

Thanks for the links. It is a nice little tool. And it shows engine hours

 

[QBhoy]

Thanks for the replies. (still not received notifications of replies...).

Scott D I'm just concerned about the hours because I think it is easy for someone with an older boat to tamper with the system or unplug the wire to stop recording hours.
To my 'no-boat-experience-opinion', the more hours = more wear on clutches (B3), engine, humidity level higher in the hull??

I would like to have a tool to read directly into the ECU, but at $800, not for now.
In automobile diag tools, the chinese make their cheap price, but still good for the job version of pro tools. . For my BMW/Mini I bought a $30 modified OBDII cable that can access all the communication buses and they give the software with it. Too bad they don't make anything for boats.


Ned L; I don't know if it is a real mechanical, but someone at work has a 99 Bayliner, and he says that at some point the hour meter was defective and has been replaced by the previous owner. I looked at it, and it looked like 0-9 numbers rolling around like cars had before. To me those meters are useful only to track oil changes and maintenance, not to estimate the total running time of a boat. In cars, the quantity of miles affect directly the value of the car, but it seems that in boats, it's a secondary element, the first being the maintenance, cleanness, etc.


QBhoy; you say: the hours can be read by plug in...or with the Merc...the wee cheap Bluetooth vessel view gadget
Do you have a link of that product, or a name for it?

Mercury vessel view mobile. About $200 and connected to the free app. Shows all the smart craft details and updates with new features constantly. Superb for fuel economy and engine monitoring that’s not visible by anolouge standard gauges.